I am almost ready to head to Expo West and I can't wait to share some of my pre-show gluten-free product picks. This event is the one industry event I look forward to every year because it is the launching pad for natural products, some of which have yet to be released. The event is poised to draw more than 60,000 attendees and feature over 2,500 exhibitors and it always manages to make me feel right at home. Gluten free is still a top food trend, so the options will be plentiful.

I don't think I have ever been more prepared to attend Expo West and that makes me feel proud and incredibly overwhelmed at the same time. This will be my fourth year attending and I will be looking for new and innovative gluten free, soy free, dairy free, and Paleo products. My twitter feed will be full of photos of what I am eating and who I am seeing (yes, some celebrities attend too).

Here are some of the gluten-free products I am most looking forward to trying:

Bread

Silver Hills Bakery - bakes two certified gluten-free breads in a separate certified facility, which are low in calories and high in fiber. These breads don't contain any gums, starches, dairy,or eggs, so that makes the ingredient list pretty short. The main ingredient is sorghum and I love sorghum.

Baking

Ziggy Marley Organics - their flavored coconut oils, Coco’Mon™, are made from fresh organic coconut kernels and they are cold-pressed, unrefined, and non-deodorized. They come in four flavors: Original, Orange Almond, Curry, and Lemon Ginger.

Candy - my daughter cannot handle artificial colors/flavors, so I am always on the lookout for natural candies that taste great and the bunch below promises to be an epic find.

JJ's Sweets - their line of Cocomels are dairy-free caramels that are all natural and darn tasty. Excited to get to try all of the flavors to see which one is my favorite.

Lovely Candy Company - offers a line of caramels, licorice, and fruit chews in flavors combinations both kids and adults will love

TruSweets - I got to try their Organic Fruit Chews (think Starburst, but better) and I am looking forward to trying their Organic Choco Chews.

Hail Merry - is adding two new flavors to their line of raw macaroons: lemon and chocolate chip cookie dough. Since they are both vegan, I anticipate adding them both to ice cream this summer!

Pamela's Products - they introduced their new line of Figgies & Jammies at Expo East, but this will be my first time trying them and I am excited. These gluten-free fig bars come in: Mission Fig, Strawberry & Fig, Raspberry & Fig, and Blueberry & Fig – the figgy filling is made without artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, combining subtly sweet figs with tart berries.

Zaza Raw - has a line of certified gluten-free raw cheesecakes that look scrumptious.

Drinks

CaCoCo - drinking chocolate that is good for you. It is made using whole, raw cacao beans, low-glycemic, mineral-rich sweeteners like coconut nectar crystals and carob, and spices like true cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground vanilla bean. It is dairy free, gluten free, raw, and it contains no major allergens like soy, corn, or cane sugar.

Numi Organic Tea - is debuting a line of chocolate teas made with cacao powder. They had me at Chocolate Spice, which is a blend of cacao with a host of chai spices.

Frontier Soups - is introducing a new flavor to its line of soup mixes Arizona Sunset Enchilada Soup. Their soup mixes are so easy to make, flavorful, and require only a couple of ingredients. The new Enchilada Soup features a Southwestern flavor profile with the warmth of chili seasonings and epazote, a spice used in many traditional Mexican dishes. The soup mix contains navy beans, sweet potato, onion, red and green bell peppers, and corn. Home cooks add cooked chicken, salsa verde or green chile enchilada sauce, and shredded cheese.

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Jennifer is a celiac who avoids: gluten, dairy/casein, soy, hydrogenated oils, and MSG. She is a contributing writer for Gluten Free Living Magazine and owns a consulting company called Gluten Free Go-To Guide http://gfgotoguide.com/. Jennifer is a member of the Atlanta Food Bloggers' Society: http://www.atlantafoodbloggersociety.com/ and the Association of Food Bloggers http://associationoffoodbloggers.org/ Email: jenniferharris326@gmail.com